Cheeky fox

[Teasal]

Our farmhouse looks straight out on to the field, and I can watch bats, owls and foxes at night, now the lighter nights are here.

Tonight, our regular fox, who comes past about 10pm, stopped opposite the window and was looking in, as we had the light on. It was only when one of the dogs heard me say there is the fox, and jumped onto the windowledge, that the fox moved. A few minutes later, my OH heard something by the door. The fox was right outside the front door!! He then goes round and sits right outside the dog pens, until my OH goes and lets them out. So he is not scared of dogs. He must enjoy the chase, when the dogs take off after him into the woods!!

[Thomzo]

Hi
My neighbour has foxes living in his garden. I saw one this morning, in bright daylight, investigating my cabbages. As I walked towards him he wandered off into the bushes but not particularly quickly. A few moments later the cats were staring at the flower border. When I looked there he was just sitting there watching me and the cats. He didn't seem at all scared of us. He was quite young and just sat. When I walked towards him he wandered off back towards his run.

I guess I will just have to reinforce the chooks run and not let them out when I'm not around.

Zoe

[ina]

These foxes are getting too civilised altogether! Wait til they start keeping rabbits as pets...

[MINESAPINT]

I think they have no choice but to become more civilised. They have no chance of surviving in the country due to persecution by hunts & gamekeepers. I live in the country and have seen 3 foxes in 11 years and after each sighting the hunt turned up later in the day. Work that one out???

[ina]

Same here: I've seen a "live" fox twice in my life: once in Australia, and once in Bristol...

[Teasal]

I am amazed when neighbours, who obviously live in the country like me, say they have lived here years and never seen a fox or a badger or even an owl.

We are now quite used to seeing foxes during the day - my chickens are now in until lunchtime as the foxes are quite blatently strolling down the field when I am there. Years ago, the only time your poultry was in danger of foxes was if you forgot to shut them up at night .....

[Teasal]

Cheeky thing has taken to having afternoon naps in the long grass in the field behind the house! Very worrying if he decided to wake from his nap and decide my chickens will make a tasty tea.

My neighbour was walking her dogs, and nearly fell over the slumbering fox - he frightened the living daylights out of her. Her dogs took off after the now awakened fox, and neighbour said she was nearly airborne holding the leads!!!

[ocailleagh]

Wildlife in general seems to be getting cheekier. I had to rescue a nestful of baby robins a few weeks back (my mother's dog got at it and sadly killed a pair of them). After I'd made a fence of sorts around the hedge they were in from some old fireguards, one of the little buggers kept hopping out of the nest onto the ground (they were very low down) so I kept putting him back in. In the end I sat there with my hand in the way to stop him hopping out so he went off into the hedge, climbed up a bit and came out above my hand before perching on my finger! And he refused to let go for a good five minutes!

I should point out that I sought advice from a bird sanctuary before attempting to handle the chicks, and they said it would be ok to do so, surprisingly. I'd been worried that the parents may abandon them if they smelt me on the chicks, but apparently not.

(adds robin wrangler to cv)

[Teasal]

Maybe the little robin just wanted to say thank you for being so kind in rescuing the little family!!

[ocailleagh]

I like to think he was imprinting on me and now sees me as his favourite uncle or something

[Ellendra]

Not only will the mother bird not abandon the chicks, some will fight you for them!

I've been divebombed by a pair of cardinals after rescuing their chick from a lawnmower. If the chick had been giving an alarm call it would have been worse, fortunately Baby didn't mind me holding him.

[The Riff-Raff Element]

Only seen one single fox in almost six years in France, but I've come across traces of many. We don't have people in pink coats disturbing the peace around here but every house - more or less - has a gun and no-one is going to report anyone to les flics for dispatching one any time of the year. So they steer well clear of habitation and habitation's chickens. An equitable arrangement.